Cuccinelli Faces Tough Questions at Town Hall in Roanoke

Roanoke, VA - Both candidates for governor made stops in our area Friday, and both are taking tough questions on issues that have been speed bumps in their campaigns.

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli had a town hall meeting with voters in Roanoke.

He took a few questions from an overwhelmingly supportive crowd, but it was one question afterward that one woman says comes from the heart of a controversy.

"I'm of the understanding that there was a donation to your campaign from Consol," said Juanita Sneeuwjagt.

"They've donated over the years," responded Cuccinelli.

"Ok. And that... that's acceptable to you?" asked Sneeuwjagt.

"Well I need a lot more donations. My opponent is outspending me like 2:1," said Cuccinelli.

Cuccinelli concedes the fight has been difficult--trying to steer people away from a message he says is being fabricated to derail what he calls his positive message.

"And I've never had a Democrat lie like Terry McAuliffe lies."

The positive part came earlier in his 11th town hall meeting, this one at Hotel Roanoke in front of a crowd that wanted to hear every word.

"How do you deal with that? If you do nothing but fight with that I'll never get to make the affirmative case on education, on tax reform, on energy. On why people should vote for me for Governor."

But Democratic operatives insist the relationship between one of the AG's assistants and an energy company fighting against Virginia landowners will be the decider.

A case where Democrats say Cuccinelli's office is actually working against the people.

"Are those accusations true?" asked a reporter.

"No. Those accusations are utterly false. My office's role in that case in southwest Virginia was to protect the statute that allows for the possibility of paying Virginians," said Cuccinelli.

Juanita Sneewjagt, an activist representing many of those landowners, is tired of the commercials and made the long trip from Dickenson County to hear for herself.

"I wouldn't say I'm 100% unhappy with the results but I got to come here, I got to put it on the table... if I were taken seriously and I hope I was," said Sneewjagt.

Expanding on the mineral rights royalties debate Cuccinelli reinforced he is running on a three part proposal to address the royalties issue. The AG also made his way to Patrick County and Danville today.